Bring the Walls Down
by zippity2
Summary: Emma has just learned that her parents happen to be two of her favorite fairy tale characters, that left her alone for 28 years. She rejects one of them, and Snow is now forced into a spiral of self hate. Charming and Henry need to find a way to save both Emma and Snow from themselves. Set after 2x01 when Emma finds out about her parents, but with my own take on the story.
1. The End of the Beginning

**Hello whoever is reading this! My name is zippity2, (as you an plainly can see) and this is actually my first, yes you read right, my FIRST fanfic! I am completely in love with the Once Upon a Time fandom and show, so as a result of episode, 02x22 I couldn't resist! I would like to thank Jiky, Glitter, Wola iiCandy Poison and Alaska829Snow (Kristen) if they are reading this! You all have inspired me in some way or another. So these chapters won't be insanely long, they will probably be 1,000-2,000 words if possible. Please review, and I hope you enjoy!**

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Every day for twenty eight years Mary Margaret Blanchard followed the same routine. She would wake up at six AM sharp, shower, get dressed, eat a good healthy breakfast, go to school and teach, come home at four o'clock and then proceed to follow her evening routine. That stayed the same for many years, until one day a blonde by the name of Emma Swan came to Storybrooke. The mayor's son Henry had explained that this woman was in fact his birthmother. Little did Mary Margaret know that Emma wasn't just Henry's mother, but also her daughter. Her daughter that she had given up while she was still Snow White, so Emma could save them one day from the Evil Queen's curse. One event led to another and a few months later, Snow had found herself again after 28 years of being frozen in time. Not only did she find herself, but she was reunited with her true love, Prince Charming. After the extravagant moment in which they shared a brief but loving kiss, she had also found the one person she had the most desire to meet again. It all seemed fine…until Emma lashed out at her.

* * *

Snow sat on her couch in the small apartment clutching a tissue she had been holding for the past few minutes. She was certain her tears had finally dried up, after four days of crying. Every moment of the past four days she had been replaying the memory of her dreams dying again. The moment when she was supposed to be reunited with her daughter, and be able to tell her how much she loves her. But that was not the way it had gone.

* * *

_ Snow and Charming broke the kiss when they heard the unmistakable cough that belonged to Snow's best friend. No… it wasn't her best friend. It was her daughter. Emma stared at the two people in front of her, like they were aliens. She was so scared and worried…and seemingly happy. Before Emma could process any of her emotions, Mary mar-Snow had wrapped her into a bone crushing hug. She could feel her "mother" begin to shake, her sobs taking control of her whole body. _

_"You found us…" Snow said almost inaudibly. Though Emma wasn't quite sure what to say to this, she did her best._

_"Yeah, I-I guess I did." Emma could feel her own tears threatening to spill over. They weren't the same tears as her mother's though. They were not the cliché happy tears that reunite two people together. No, they were tears of mixed emotion. On one hand, she was happy she found her parents. But on the other, she utterly terrified and scared of what she would do next. Emma had spent her whole childhood building up walls to keep people out. Those walls had only been fortified when Neal Cassidy had destroyed her every will for living. The blonde wasn't accustomed to letting people bring down her walls. It had been hard enough to accept the invitation to live with Mary Margaret, how would she accept being her ex-best friend's daughter?! Her thoughts were broken again as she felt her "father's" arms around her. All Emma wanted to do was run and hide for awhile, like she did when she met Henry. She had to have been in that bathroom for at least ten minutes before being able to face her son. She couldn't do that now though, she had to face them. _

_"I wish this never happened to you Emma, I'm so sorry." Snow's sobs continued as she proceeded, "I wish..I wish I had killed Regina all those years ago when I had the chance." Emma went rigid. She stopped moving, her mother had the chance to kill that bitch? And she didn't?! Her whole life Emma always wished that she hadn't been alone, that her past was different so she didn't have to be alone her whole life. It could have been different. She wouldn't have had to be the girl who was always left behind. It wasn't the queen who had taken away her childhood….it was her own mother. _

_"Wh-what? Y-You could have killed her?!" Emma stuttered, letting go of her parents. The angry tears began to spill over onto her cheeks._

_Snow was startled by the absence of her daughter in her arms. The warmth in her body was suddenly gone, along with Emma. Snow could barely see through her tears, only able to see her daughters face crumpling into a look of anguish. "E-Emma no…you don't understand I-" _

_"No! No, you had a choice, and you chose the wrong one! I could have grown up with parents and not have been shipped from foster home to foster home, never knowing if anyone actually cared about me!" Emma screamed, not caring to look if anyone was staring at her. Snow stared at her daughter in shock, trying to find the words to explain what happened all those years ago. Snow didn't even get a chance to explain though, because a young boy came into view calling out Emma's name. _

_"Emma!" The blonde whipped around to see Henry running towards them. Shit. Emma did her best not to look at her parents as she wiped her tears away. Her eyes were still puffy, and cheeks tear stained but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. Once Henry reached them, his face had changed from an expression of utter confusion to an expression of sadness. "What's going on? I heard yelling!" Henry wasn't dumb, he could tell that Snow, David and Emma weren't crying out of happiness. But what they were crying about, he wasn't sure. Emma looked at Henry and tried to smile,_

_"Henry go wait in my car." He told the young boy clearly._

_"But I-" _

_"Now Henry, please." Her son's face fell even further as he gave a glancing look to his grandparents before turning to get into the yellow Volkswagen bug. Making sure that the boy was safely out of hearing distance, she turned back to her parents. Her father was gripping onto Snow, who was still shaking with sobs. She looked straight at her mother, "You need to stay away from me. Right now, the last thing I need is to be reminded of the one person who screwed up my life." Emma turned away from the two and began to walk towards her car, doing her best to press back sobs of her own. _

_Snow had fallen to her knees, leaning against her prince not knowing how she would get up. She was numb; it felt like all the happiness in the world had disappeared, leaving her as an empty shell. Alone, and without her daughter. _


	2. A Roller Coaster of a Life

**Wow! Oh my goodness thank you to all of you who faved, followed and reviewed! I really enjoy reviews because it helps me get input from the readers to see if they like what I'm doing! Don't be shy to give suggestions either! Thank you again to Glit for being helpful and reassuring me, MANY times! Also, on another note, I was planning to have Emma in this chapter but I promise she will be featured in the next chapter! Love you all, and remember to review! **

Snow brought her knees up to her chest, only wanting to be able to breathe again. It seemed like for the past four days she was a completely different person. She used have a routine, a smile on her face and loved to see the people around her. But now, all she wanted to do was sit inside the apartment, terrified to leave. She couldn't risk seeing Emma's face; it would just destroy her all over again. Four days of being numb, only getting off the couch to go to the bathroom or changing into a different outfit. The couch was one of the only places in the apartment that didn't remind her of her daughter. Snow's heart sank and her breath hitched every time she addressed her daughter in her thoughts.

The slow and lethargic Snow got off of the couch, feeling nature's annoying yet necessary call. She walked slowly her feet padding across the cold floor. Once she had reached the bathroom, she nearly gasped when she caught sight of her reflection. Her short hair was sticking up in places she didn't think possible. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks were still tear stained with some leftover traces of mascara. She looked horrid…Why; she hadn't looked like this since, since she found out David had chosen Kathryn over her. Or Mary Margaret at least. That was one of many moments where her world came to a halt all over again. It seemed like Snow's life was a roller coaster, constantly getting stopped by the downpour of hatred and lies. How could she let herself get to this point? It was so unlike her. She couldn't even bare to look at herself anymore. Fairest in all the land? Yeah right. How Charming honestly was putting up with her, she wasn't sure. But somehow, someway, she had a husband who _was_ still there for her. And hopefully, he would be home soon.

Once Snow was done with her personal "duties" she walked out of bathroom, doing her best not to look in the mirror again. Midway back to the couch, Snow stopped in her tracks. She wasn't sure why, but she had the sudden urge to go into her bedroom. Maybe it was because her brain was finally telling her to let go and try and save the relationship between her and her daughter. Snow knew that what lay behind the door were things she did not want to see. Things of Emma's they had moved into her room because Mary Margaret had insisted that they repaint the walls.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Snow told herself quietly. She touched her hand to the door knob, hoping she would get shock. Hoping there would be something there to stop her. But sadly, there wasn't. She continued on pushing the door open. Upon opening it, she could feel her breath quicken. In the room were various boxes, not too many, but just enough that Emma's scent seemed to linger in the room. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and did her best to try and push them back down.

Everything seemed alright, she hadn't started to cry _yet_. Maybe she was finally starting to feel bet- Snow froze as she saw something hanging out of the box in the far corner. Peaking out of the small box, was an off-white knitted blanket with purple ribbon. Snow gasped, now unable to keep her "thought to be dried up" tears down. She choked out a sob as she sunk against the door frame. She pulled her knees as close to her chest as possible, trying to be as small as she could. It felt like the walls were closing in on her, trying to push the breath out of her lungs. Snow shut her eyes, only hearing Emma's harsh words all over again. Replaying the memories of losing her daughter, knowing she would have to wait what seemed like a lifetime to see her again. She began to rock back and forth, and her breath quickened into a pace that was considered to be hyperventilation.

Unfortunately for Snow, she was all too accustomed to the feeling of death that was brought on by her anxiety attacks. Ever since her mother had died when she was young, the smallest things could push her into an anxiety attack. It could happen at any time, any place. Thankfully as Snow had gotten older and had to be on the run from Regina, she learned how to control her emotions a lot better. Of course, it wasn't easy in doing so, because there wasn't a certain cause to them. Only symptoms. The symptoms for her often included, hyperventilation, her skin becoming more pale than normal, her heart pounding and nausea. There had been on more than one occasion when she had suffered from one in public. She had done a fairly good job at concealing it though, for Charming was the only person who could tell when she was starting to panic.

It was becoming more difficult for Snow to breathe as the seconds grew into a few minutes. All of her horrible memories flashing behind her eyelids. Everything was mixed together, feelings of anguish and hatred from other people flowing through her veins, making her heart pound. She needed help, and Charming was the only one suited for the job.

* * *

Charming had gone out to the grocery store promising Snow he would be back in a matter of minutes. He didn't want to leave his wife right now, because she was always a step away from being broken down at any given moment. He didn't have a choice though, it was either starve both him and his wife, or go out to the grocery store for a few minutes. They were in dire need of milk…and cocoa powder. He had run around the grocery store as quick as possible, not stopping to talk to anyone. Most people had seen Emma and Snow's fight, so they knew that he wasn't in the mood to talk.

As he exited the small store, he was halted by a sometimes annoyingly familiar voice.

"James! Wait!" Charming made a face before turning on his heel to face the brunette in skimpy clothing. It wasn't that, he hated Red or anything, but now was just _not_ the time for chitchat.

"Red if you're going to talk to me, make it fast!" He said a little too angrily. He felt bad now because he could see the hurt look on the girl's face. He sighed, "Sorry for yelling, it's just been a rough few days." He looked both ways and walked fast across the street, the girl right beside him.

"I know, I'm so sorry James but I need to know…" Red took a deep breath, "Is she okay?" She looked at Charming expectantly. James sighed again, he couldn't tell her. Snow made him promise never to tell anyone about her weaknesses. Though, he didn't completely see it as a weakness, he saw it as something that made his wife stronger than she already was.

"Red, I can't tell you anything." He looked around making sure no one was listening, "All I can tell you, is that she's hurting." Red's face fell; she wanted to see her friend so badly. James stopped for a moment, putting his hand on her shoulder and said, "She'll be alright in the end. You and I both know that." He tried his best to smile before jogging off towards the apartment.

* * *

Upon entering the small apartment, he knew something was wrong. His wife was no longer on the couch, the place where she had resided for the past four days. He walked quickly over to the counter, placing the bag of groceries down. He called out, "Snow?!" That's when he heard it, the unmistakable choking sob of his wife. His eyes went wide when he saw the door to their bedroom open. He ran across the living room and knelt down as soon as he saw his wife. She was shaking violently, and being unresponsive to him. "Snow, come on. It's okay." He placed a hand on her trembling shoulder, his heart aching as she flinched at his touch. He kissed the top of head, and like magic, she looked up at him. Though she still felt sick and still trembling, she was now coherent. "Ch-Charming…" She gave him a small smile, before he face went pale again, "I'm going to be sick."


	3. Revelations and Stories

**Hello dearies! I can't thank you all enough for the follows, favs and reviews! You're all so lovely! This is the longest chapter so far, and it has Emma in it as promised. If you guys have any suggestions, don't be afraid to let me know! I really hope you enjoy this chapter because it honestly was a bit more challenging to write. I hoped I pulled it off alright! Don't forget to review and happy reading!**

* * *

Emma Swan flopped down into the chair behind her desk at the Storybrooke sheriff station. It had been a long and very difficult four days for her. She had gone from being the sheriff of a town with _somewhat-_normal people living in it, to becoming the sheriff of a town full of fairy tale characters. Not only that but she had also been best friends with one of the school teachers, Mary Margaret Blanchard. They had definitely been through a lot in the past year, what with accusing of murders and heartbreaks. Unfortunately those now seemed to be the _little_ problems they survived. Within less than twenty-four hours, Emma had gone from being an abandoned orphan on the side of a highway, to being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. And Snow White also happened to be Mary Margaret Blanchard from the town she once knew.

Emma rested her head on her arms, not knowing what else to do. She had done all the paperwork she could find, and she had done anything in her power to distract herself from the conflict brewing between her and her mother. The girl closed her eyes letting out a shaky breath, being alone was her weakness. Being alone reminded her of all the hardships she had to face growing up. Being alone now had an even bigger impact on Emma, for this whole year she hadn't been alone at all. She had had a best friend who would have done anything for her and a son who loved her unconditionally. But now, she had lost one of those people, and wasn't sure if she could ever trust her again.

Her whole life Emma had been building up walls to keep people from breaking her down. All those walls had been built up because of her being left on the side of a highway shortly after her birth. All the foster homes and all the families she had been shipped to had all hated her. They called her a freak, a loser, someone who _deserved_ to be left behind. All of her heartache, all of her sorrow, could have been stopped, if Snow had just killed Regina when she had the chance.

Just thinking about Snow brought Emma to tears. She has been alone, living in the sheriff station and hadn't talk to anyone except Henry in the past four days. That last time she saw him, had been directly after the fight. At the same time, she revealed something to her son that no one else was aware of…

* * *

_Emma turned away from the two and began to walk towards her car, doing her best to press back sobs of her own. Upon opening the car door, she took a deep breath preparing for the bombardment of questions she would probably receive from Henry. She sat the driver's seat only looking in the mirror briefly, meeting her son's eyes. They weren't teary, but sad. She knew her son was capable of processing what was going on, and that scared her shitless. Her son was so perceptive, and she couldn't stop him. But he wasn't being himself either. Normally in any situation, he would be questioning her to no end. Thankfully this time though, he knew she would soon tell him what he needed to know. _

_Henry watched his mom carefully, not tearing his eyes away from the review mirror for a minute. One of the few times his mom looked up at him, he couldn't help but spot a single tear fall from her eye before she quickly wiped it away. His mom _didn't _cry, so there had to be something going on. And he could tell it wasn't something good. __Finally the car stopped, and as he looked out the window, he was rather surprised to see where they were. They were at the docks where his castle had stood a little less than a year ago. His mother gave him a quick look in the mirror again as if to say, "I have something I want to tell you." He understood immediately and got out of the car, Emma following. They walked to the edge of the dock in silence, only hearing the loud breaths produced by Emma. Once they reached the edge of the dock, Emma sat down and her son did the same beside her. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed looking over at the young boy. She asked him quietly, "How much did you hear?"_

"_Not enough to know what was happening…" He looked the other way, "But I want to know." He said almost inaudibly. Emma sniffled and put an arm around her son, bringing him closer._

"_Mary Mar- _Snow _and I got into a fight we-"_

"_How could you get in a fight with her?! She's your mother!" Henry yelled, nearly making his mom fall into the water. He had never yelled at her like that, at least not recently._

"_H-Henry, you don't understand." Emma took a deep breath looking into her son's eyes, "S-She told me something, something that hurt me so deeply. You c-can't even imagine…" __Henry's face contorted into a confused look, what had Snow told her?_

"_What did she say?" He questioned his mother. When she looked away and brushed something from her eye, he spoke up again. "Mom?" That one word make Emma's heart both hurt and want to burst at the same time. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, she couldn't tell him. He couldn't know how much she was mad at Snow for taking away the happy life she could have had. Henry had worked so hard to bring them back together, she couldn't crush his dreams._

"_S-She took something from me." He watched her every facial movement with a baffled expression. What had she taken away from her?!_

"_Did she steal something?!" If that was true, it was hardly believable. It was Snow White, the nicest person in all the lands, but he understood as well that everyone had something to hide._

"_N-No! Nothing like that, it was something I never really had to begin with." Now Henry was even more perplexed. Emma smiled a bit at her son's confusion, "What she didn't let me have, made my life a lot more…" Another shaky breath, "D-Difficult." She closed her eyes, trying not to let her tears fall. She didn't want Henry to see her like that. She felt exposed and vulnerable, and once she felt like that, there was no going back. She could feel herself losing control of her of her emotions, as her body started to tremble. She could feel her stomach rolling and tightening, threatening to reveal its contents. A bead of sweat rolled down her neck._

"_Mom? Are you okay?" Emma looked at her son with tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to talk. She did her best to get the words out, but she couldn't. It was at that moment when Henry understood. Not too long ago he had read a book about different disorders. He had been trying to see if any of the fairy tale characters possessed any so he could help them when they woke up, and they wouldn't be as confused. His mother was having an anxiety attack. How had he not seen this before?! __Emma was very good at hiding things, so he assumed her anxiety attacks had been the thing she was best concealing. Henry closed his eyes briefly trying to remember what he was supposed to do. Unfortunately, everyone was different in the ways they could be helped. He knew his mom best so he went out on a limb and wrapped his arms around her. At first, his mom tried to squirm out of her son's small arms, but then the trembling seemed to subside. Henry let out the breath he had been holding and slowly let go of his mother. "A-Are you okay?" _

_Emma closed her eyes as they sat in silence for a minute, as she tried to push the monster away. She let go of the knees and exhaled, "Yeah, I'm okay Henry, I'm okay." _

_Henry smiled at her, "Good, cause you really worried me for a few minutes."Emma felt horrible for letting her son find out about her anxiety attacks. It had been such a burden on her when she was young; she wasn't able to have any friends because of it. _

"_I'm sorry for not telling you sooner Henry…I just couldn't bare for you to think I was weak because of it." Her son looked shocked by this statement._

"_Weak?! How could you be weak because of this? You've had to tough through it this year despite the fact that all the odds were against you." He looked his mom straight in the eyes, "Your stronger because of this, not weaker." _

_Emma nearly started to cry again because of her son's powerful words. She wrapped him in a tight hug, not wanting to let go. She had planned on telling him about her anxiety attacks soon, because she knew there would more than a few that would be happening what with Snow and her not talking. But it seemed as though Henry had figured it out on his own before she even had a chance to start telling him. Emma's thoughts were interrupted by one question she didn't want him to ask,_

"_So, are you going to talk to grandma about it?" Henry questioned his mother. He had a feeling he knew the answer already, but it was worth a shot. _

"_I don't know what I'm going to do Henry." It was the truth; she didn't know how to face her mother now. Just the very thought of it make her want to curl up in a ball and die. If she ever attempted to talk to Snow before she was ready, she knew the outcome wouldn't be pretty. And Emma didn't know when she would be ready._

* * *

Charming went wide eyed and grabbed his wife, hoisting her up into his arms. He ran to the bathroom without thinking at all and was just quick enough to get her to the toilet before she was violently sick straight into its previously white center. Charming rubbed her back soothingly as she continued to cry. Once she was done being ill, she flushed the contents away and her husband got her a glass of water. Snow sipped from the cup, her hand still shaking. Charming pulled her into his lap as they sat on the bathroom floor.

"Shh Snow, it's okay." He knew that wasn't the truth though. He wanted to believe it was, but it wasn't. The reality was that the daughter they had been waiting 28 years for didn't want to talk to Snow. Emma had every right to be angry, but it didn't help with her mother's anxiety. At all.

Snow fell back against her husband, wanting the nightmare to be over. She had been constantly hoping for these past few days that she would just wake up to Emma being in the next room. But she never was.

Charming whispered softly to his wife, "Would a story help?" He didn't even need an answer to know it was a yes. The only way to calm down his wife was a story and hot chocolate. It had always worked for them, and he wasn't about to let that change. So, as they sat there against the tub he started a very familiar story.

"Once upon a time, in a magical realm lived a beautiful princess. Her name, was Snow White. She was the fairest in all the land, so rightfully, people were jealous. But not only was Snow drop dead gorgeous, she knew how to kick some ass." Snow giggled softly through her tears as her husband continued, "There was one woman who was always jealous of Snow White's beauty and kick-assery, the Evil Queen. The Queen had been after Snow for many months hoping that someone would find her or kill her. But, the Queen's plan back fired when Snow "ran into" a _very_ handsome prince, who may or may not have been a farmer before," Snow chuckled a bit at the little detail he had added into the story. "Snow had taken his jewels from the carriage, and ran off with them. But, the _extremely _handsome prince knew how to track, so he wasn't worried about it. After tracking down the princess, he caught her up in a net!" At this last part of the story, Charming wrapped his arms around her more securely and playfully desperately wanting her to laugh. "Once they had made a deal in which she would get the jewels back, they set out. And after a dip in a stream, some trolls and nearly falling off a bridge, he had them back. But he couldn't leave without her trying on the one piece of jewelry that matter the most to him. And when she slipped on his mother's ring, he knew there was no one else he would rather be with. In all the realms and universes, no love was more right than that shared between Snow White, and Prince Charming." As he finished the story, he noticed Snow's breath had slowed back into a steady pace. She was no longer trembling, and her sobs had just been reduced to a stuffy nose.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I bought some milk, I'll make you some hot chocolate okay?" She whispered back trying to produce a smile, "Don't forget the cinnamon."

* * *

**I decided to make the ending fluffy because of the last chapter being so dark for Snow. Let me know if you like the fluffy Snowing additions and I'll do more! Love you all~**


	4. Surprise Visits

**Hello again! I know I mention this a lot, but I love you all soooo much for the reviews, favs and follows! So unfortunately this story is coming to a close in just two chapters! It's so sad! But, don't fear! I do plan on making a SEQUEL! Woohoo! If you guys have any suggestions for this story, or the sequel GO AHEAD AND TELL ME! I love suggestions! Love you all, and don't forget to review! **

Emma was asleep, with her head on her arms which were sprawled out over her desk. She was not in her usual "You could blow a bomb up next door and I wouldn't wake up" deep sleep. Because she could swear she heard the clacking of high heels across the floor. That was probably impossible though, because there was no one who wore heels who made that noise other than Regina.

"Miss Swan I-" Regina Mills walked through the door, being ready to address the sheriff of her town. But she stopped once she saw Emma sprawled out on her desk soundly asleep. The evil queen rolled her eyes and spoke a little louder in a disapproving tone, "Miss Swan!"

Emma bolted upright upon hearing her arch nemesis's voice. Regina was clothed in one of her pant suits, which was obviously a neutral tone. Today it was gray. Emma had no desire to see Regina right now, and could live happily if she never saw her again. She clenched her hands into fists as she waited for Regina's snarky voice to question her about something. But before the other woman could say anything, Henry came running into the room. Emma smiled, thankful her son was here.

Henry ran past Regina straight to Emma wrapping his arms around her. He asked her quietly,

"Are you doing okay?" Emma smiled, she was happy that Henry knew now. Knew how much he could help her through this, and she was so grateful for that. Emma tried not to smirk at the sour look on Regina's face as Henry still had not let go of her. Once her son let go, she saw Regina relax and gave Emma a suspicious look.

"Miss Swan, I don't care about your personal life," She looked between Emma and Henry, "but I _do _care about how you wanted to spend time with my son so bad, and you have not talked to him or _anyone_ in five days." If looks could kill, the sheriff would surely be dead. But instead of feeling like her blood was coming to a boil, she feels tears instead. After five days in solitude, only going out to get some food from Granny's, Emma was not mentally stable enough to handle Regina.

Henry reached over and put his hand on her arm and squeezed gently.

"You harassed me for weeks over wanting to see Henry, and _now_," She paused, "_Now, _if you don't do something about whatever is going on in your life,you _will _lose him."

"Mom, stop!" Henry yelled at Regina, wishing he could sound more hurtful. The mayor's eyes went wide as he addressed her in that tone.

"Henry Mills don't you talk to-"

"Then stop! You don't _know _what Emma has been through and the last thing _you_ want is to lose me." Henry gave and accusing look, "If you don't stop, then _you're _the one who's going to lose me. _Not_ Emma." Regina was appalled by Henry's bravery. Unfortunately, it seemed the boy was developing Charming family traits. The queen could feel some tears of her own spring to her eyes as she let out a breath. She nodded at Henry then looked over at Emma. She could tell the girl wasn't herself, she almost seemed _lost_. Her face was always in an unhappy expression, and her eyes dark. Regina wasn't sure how, but instead of her usual happy reaction to seeing Emma in a bad state, she _almost_ felt bad. She guessed though that it was probably Henry being so protective that made Regina want to retreat.

Emma whispered to Henry, "Go with her okay? I still need some time to think, I'll call you at home." Henry's heart sunk as he turned another hug and began to walk slowly away. "Henry wait," She pulled him back and hugged him this time. "You understand why I need to be alone right?" The young boy nodded, and Emma sighed with relief. He then turned walking faster than Regina, so he was already out in the other hall. Without even looking, Emma could feel Regina's evil smile because Henry was going back with her. She couldn't help but make some sort of comment, so Regina would know her looks would not go unseen,

"I'm surprised that you haven't been killed yet." Emma said just loud enough for Regina to hear. She turned about and smirked at Emma,

"Well, it seems as though your _father_," Emma nearly flinched at the word, "Made a speech telling people to just stay with their families, and that they would have a town meeting as soon and possible." Emma gulped; she knew why he was putting it off. It was rather obvious at this point, it was because of herself and Snow…

"You know Miss Swan, I would talk to someone about your…._problems_." Regina made her final statement, and walked away heels clacking down the hall. Once again, Emma was alone. It was time again to face her weaknesses, and try to find a way to build up the courage to face her mother.

* * *

"I'll be back in an hour okay?" He asked his wife, actually wanting an answer. He wouldn't leave her unless she was okay for him to go. After what had happened last night, he wanted to make sure it was fine.

Snow nodded her head, and choked out the words, "G-Go, I'll be fine." She put on the best smile she could, knowing it would just fall away once he left. Charming was her rock, but she knew he had to go check up on everyone. If she wasn't in this state, she would have gone with him. Truthfully she missed everyone, especially Red and the dwarves. All she wanted was to leave, but she couldn't face people like this. It would just make things worse. It was hard enough to not let Red see her, because she would probably have a cow. Red knew that Snow had problems with her emotions sometimes, but had never truly seen her in the midst of an attack.

Charming sat down next to her for a moment, and cupped his hand to her cheek. She brought her own hand up to hold it there and closed her eyes letting out a distressed breath. She wished he could stay, but he had to go. She would beat herself up even more if he didn't go. He planted a kiss softly on her lips and whispered, "I love you."

"Love you too…" She said as he got up. Charming walked towards the door, giving one last look at wife before heading out.

Once she heard the door shut, Snow pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. She fought back the urge to cry, feeling like she wouldn't be able to stop if she started…

* * *

The brunette watched as James walked out of the apartment, with a sad look on his face. Or at least it looked sad from what she could tell from where she was hiding. She got up from her hiding spot and ran at the door hoping it was unlocked. As she tried the knob, it unfortunately wasn't. Well, she would just have to hope Snow would let her in. She brought her hand up to the door, and knocked twice.

* * *

Snow's body went cold. Who could be at the door? Charming hadn't even been gone for five minutes! Snow didn't want to get up, and didn't want anyone to see her. But what if it was Emma? She had to do something…. Snow got up quickly, making her stomach uneasy at the swift movement. This was the fast she had moved in five days. She ran into the bathroom, she didn't look at bad as before at least… But whoever it was would hopefully understand. She wouldn't let them stay long. She walked up to the door and took a deep breath and twisted the knob.

"Snow!" The door swung open almost knocking Snow backwards. She saw a flash of red, and before she got a chance to breath, she was being crushed in a hug. It smelled like biscuits and that could only mean one thing.

"R-Red..." Snow closed her eyes and smiled a bit. She hadn't seen her in what felt like years. The best friends shared the hug for a few minutes, before Snow needed her space. "Wh-What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I came to see you of course!" Red had tried her best just to wait it out, but she couldn't do it. She needed to make sure Snow was alright. It's not that she didn't trust James, she just needed to see for herself. And what she could see was a version of her friend she had never seen before. She seemed broken and sad, nothing like the friend she knew. Snow was about to lead her out of the doorway when she remembered something, "Oh! I almost forgot!" She turned around and picked up her wicker basket holding it out to Snow, "Granny made you favorite biscuits!" Snow smiled at the gesture.

"Thank you,but I-"

"No way Snow, if you think Granny is going to let me go back with these biscuits, you've _truly_ lost you mind!" Snow winced at the statement, because it felt like that was happening to her. Her heart ached and she sighed mentally, trying not to show how unintentionally hurtful that statement was.

Red felt terrible. Curse her and her stupid remarks! Why didn't she always have to be so careless with her word choices! "Snow I'm sorry I-"

"N-No, it's fine, let's go inside."

The two walked in and sat on the couch in silence. Snow then reverted to her previous position involving her knees up to her chest. Red could sense the tension coming off of her friend and wrapped an arm around her. "Are you ready to talk about?" Red asked quietly. A sob threatened to shake Snow's body as she shook her head. Red had seen what happened outside of Granny's and it had brought her to tears as well. But she wouldn't tell her friend that.

The two sat in silence for the next few minutes, not needing any words. Red sat holding her best friend with one arm, waiting to see if she would have to hold her with two.

"It-It's all my fault…" Red turned at looked at Snow who broke the silence and now had tears in her eyes.

"What's your fault?" She asked Snow with a whisper.

"I-It's my fault Emma hates me, no one else's. I _ruined_ her life Red. I hate me too for it." Red was shocked by her friend's harsh words.

"Snow, you _know_ it's not your fault. Does she not kn-"

Snow cut her again, "Sh-She didn't let me explain."

"Well then you need to talk to her Snow, you can't let her think it was entirely your fault!" Red exclaimed.

"What makes you think that sh-she would even want to see me?!" Snow held back another sob.

"Because no matter how much she thinks it's your fault, she hasn't heard the whole story. Snow, I know she'll come around."

"Are predictions a wolf thing too?" Snow tried to joke.

Red giggled, "No, but I just know."

Snow smiled as Red looked over at the clock in the kitchen. Crap!

"Snow, you husband will be back any minute now, so unless I want to get yelled at by the King himself, I need to go!" Red hugged her friend once more and smiled, knowing she would be in be alright in the end. Snow smiled and thanked her friend for the biscuits as she went out the door. As if on cue, her husband walked in and smiled walking over to her.

"Snow I'm sorry for not being ba-" He stopped. Why did it smell like…_biscuits_? He sighed looking at Snow, who was trying not smile. "Red was here wasn't she?" Snow giggled a bit as her husband smirked.


	5. Trying Not to Fall

**Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry for the wait guys! It's been a tough week for my brain and I was very distracted. Now, a bit of an announcement is to be made. I have decided that instead of only having one more chapter after this, there will be two. I decided this because I could give you guys a little more excitement instead of having it all mixed together at once. (And it will honestly just help me more as a writer). Anyways, a quick thanks to you guys too because of all the love, favs and reviews! Again, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! It's nice to hear feedback from the readers! So, thanks again, I'm sorry for the wait, and I love you all! c:**

* * *

Henry tapped his pencil against his book, waiting impatiently for the lunch bell to go off. It had been six days since he witnessed Emma yelling at Mary Margaret outside Granny's diner. He knew something had definitely gone wrong, because that was supposed to be the moment when the two were _happily _reunited after twenty eight years. But to him it seemed that it had gone in the exact opposite direction.

It had been six days since he saw his school teacher, and she _never_ had missed class for this long. Well, other than when she had been accused of murdering her _now_ true love's ex-wife. But that was an entirely different story. He knew something wasn't right, and he was worried about his teacher/grandmother. From all the stories he read in his book, Snow White was _not_ weak. She had fought off many of the Evil Queen's soldiers, had a best friend who happened to be the Big Bad Wolf and had even sacrificed herself for her one true love. She had bounced back right after she was proven not guilty of murdering Kathryn, why was she taking so long to bounce back now?

His curious ten-year-old mind couldn't handle not knowing any longer. He had devised a plan to sneak out at lunch, while Ms. Albert (the hall monitor) took her daily bathroom break at 11:40 sharp. This particular teacher wasn't too observant, so knew he could get away with it.

Henry was the first out of his seat once he heard the bell go off. He walked quickly towards the side doors of his school, and watched as the one teacher quickly walked in the direction of the faculty bathroom. He would have thirty seconds until another teacher would come and take her place. So it was now or never… He looked down the halls and then proceeded to run at the doors and had thankfully "escaped" successfully. He also knew it was probably best if he took the back alleyways he was familiar with so that he would not get caught by one of the many people he knew. The last time that happened, both Emma and Regina were definitely not pleased. And Mary Margaret had seemed rather hurt that he would leave her class like that… But this time it was necessary, because Mary Margaret was no longer just his teacher, she was part of his family. He would do anything for his family.

He glanced behind and around himself every few minutes to make sure he wasn't being watched or followed. He moved quickly, not wanting to waste any time. He had thousands of thoughts flying through his mind a mile a minute. Emma had never actually told him what was going on. If she wasn't being open with him, there was something going on. And Snow White was always known for facing her problems head on, why was she not doing that now?! Well, he was about to find out.

* * *

He hated having to leave her, but Charming had to go out and check on things again. He was walking through the town square when he was approached by a very familiar face,

"Prince James!" Mother Superior called out his name,

"Hello Mother Superior." He would have called her the Blue Fairy, but she had asked everyone to call her by her Storybrooke name. She found it more _appropriate_ for this world. "What can I do for you?" He smiled.

"Well it's nothing too important, but everyone is well…" She looked around sadly, "Well they're very worried about your wife." Charming sighed, knowing he should have expected that. "And," He looked back up at her, "Some people are, _panicking. _We need to have a meeting, and soon."

"I know it's just…." He sighed, "Snow isn't ready to make an appearance." His heart was sinking with every thought of his wife. It didn't seem to be getting any better with time passing, so he _had_ to find a way to help his girls. He didn't know how or when, but he _would_ help them. Before he had any more time to think about it, he was interrupted.

"JAMES!" Charming spun around trying to find the owner of the frantic voice. Running towards his], and Mother Superior was Leroy. Or Grumpy, as he was called back in their world. The shorter man ran towards the two with a panic stricken expression. What was wrong?! What he okay?! Those thoughts passed through his mind due to his protective attitude. He would go to any lengths to help his friends, but he needed to know what was wrong first.

"Leroy! What's wrong?" Charming ran up to meet the man, Mother Superior following behind him.

"Is it the mines?!" Questioned Mother Superior.

"No! It's more of a," Leroy looked at Charming, "_family _matter." Charming was wide eyed, what did he mean? Snow was at home, Henry was at school, Emma wa-

_Emma. _

"Mother Superior, we'll talk later!" He gave the other woman one last glance before breaking out into a run towards the sheriff station. She had given the prince a nod, obviously seeing the need for his assistance. Her problems could wait for now.

* * *

_Leroy grumbled quietly to himself. He and his boys had decided to go back to working in the mines today, but there was a lot of equipment missing! Not to mention, they didn't have any proper gear. Back in the Enchanted Forest they hadn't really needed any equipment, but because of the mines being so unstable here, they needed something to keep them safe. No one else around the town seemed to know where to get some, and he sure as hell wasn't going to go see Gold. So, he decided to see the sheriff instead. Leroy was completely aware of the incident between Snow and Emma. But he also decided it wouldn't also be a bad thing if he went to go check up on her. He had heard she had been living at the station for the past six days, and he knew from experience that that place was _not_ fun to be in for that long. _

_He marched down the street and turned walking into the station. Even if this happened to be one of his least favorite places in Storybrooke, it wasn't so bad now that he knew Emma was Snow's daughter. Snow had saved him from many things, but mostly himself. He felt it was only right to make sure he could help her too. _

_Upon walking into the building, he could sense something wasn't quite right. Usually if anyone came in, Emma was immediately aware. But, there wasn't a greeting or calling out a name just….silence. Something was definitely up. Leroy walked a little faster down the halls, feel uneasy about the situation. Once he got to her office/holding area, he was confused. Emma usually sat behind her desk with either a smirk or an unimpressed look on her face. Either of those was typically brought on by Regina's antics. _

_He had heard that Henry was staying with his adoptive mother for the time being, just as a safety precaution. Everyone knew that Charming, Snow nor Emma were not able to take care of the young boy with everything going on. He felt bad for his friend's family; they had so many things going on. And none of them were good…._

"_Emma?" Leroy called out for the girl. When he got on response, he began to worry. He took a few glances around the room with no signs of the sheriff. Before he could turn around to head out again, he heard a quiet whimper. He looked closer, only to see a flicker of blonde visible by the desk. He walked over slowly, repeating himself, "Emma…?" Slowly moving around the desk, he saw the face of what seemed to be…a lost little girl. A little girl who had despair in her eyes and sadness upon her face. But this girl was one he once knew to be the opposite of lost. She had once been strong, and ready to face her problems head on, just like her mother. But from what Leroy could tell, she was no longer that person. Emma was broken, and unresponsive. It didn't happen often, but Leroy felt his heart ache for the girl. She seemed so fragile and hurt. He talked to the trembling girl again, "Emma, are you alright?" When she didn't look at him, he knew the answer was no. _

_Leroy didn't know what to do. He had never seen anyone act like this. He was quickly being driven insane with different things he could do. He could go and get Snow, but that wouldn't surely make things worse. He could find Henry, but it would take too long to get him out of class. He could find Charming…. Yes, that would be best. _

"_Emma, I'm going to find your father. He'll help you…" He turned quickly, but not before he swore he could see her nod. Well, at least she was somewhat there. _

_The man ran as fast as he could down the streets, looking for any sign of the prince. He yelled over to Ruby, who was sweeping outside Granny's "Ruby!" Ruby nearly dropped her broom as she looked over at the dwarf, who was yelling at her,_

"_What is it Leroy?!" Ruby asked, sensing the urgency in his tone. _

"_Have you seen Prince James?!" He questioned again._

"_Yes! He's in the town square!" Leroy nodded and ran off again, what had gotten into him?_

_The dwarf ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and thankfully he didn't have to go too far. Once he got a glimpse of the prince, he yelled, _"JAMES!"

* * *

Snow sighed to herself, she was alone _again_. Charming needed to go check on everyone _again_. She felt bad about not wanting him to leave because she knew the necessity that was him having to be there for everyone. But at the same time, all she wanted was for him to stay home and hold her close.

Since Red had visited her yesterday, she didn't seem to be as sad. She felt lighter, knowing that there people other than Charming who still loved her. 'I guess I just forgot for a while…' Snow thought to herself. And it was true, with all the panic and hate that had been with her, she hadn't been able to remember all the people that cared for her.

She was still on the couch, and quite frankly was really was getting tired of the polyester fabric. She missed her bed, and being closer to her husband while she slept. Charming had refused to be without her for the first few days after the fight. He would sleep on the floor next to her every night. But Snow had gotten tired of him doing that after noticing how bad it hurt his back, she wasn't a big fan of hearing pops and cracks coming from his bones. It took her an hour to convince him it was alright to sleep in the bed, she just wasn't ready for that…

Snow got up off the couch and walked around to the kitchen. Sitting on the ledge of the counter was Red's basket. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of her kind and caring friend. She had been given her favorite biscuits by both Red and Granny, but she was having a hard time stomaching them. It just felt that every time she attempted to bite one, all she could remember were the various times she had gone there with Emma. Snow looked away from them, with tears in her eyes.

She shook head and took a deep breath. No, she needed to face her daughter, and explain to her why she didn't do what she could have. She needed to get out of the apartment and start helping her friends and family. She couldn't hide forever. Today _would_ be the day she would get out of this apartment. She would go out and see people.

She knew that Charming probably wouldn't approve of her trying to leave before he was back. But she knew that if he was home when she attempted this, he would not let her go. So, it was now or never. She took another deep breath as she grabbed her coat, pushing herself forward and not wanting to go back. As kept getting a step closer to being outside, more thoughts of her daughter threatened to invade her mind. If that happened, there would be no chance of her ever getting out.

Snow stood in front of the door, hand about to reach for the knob. Why was this so difficult? It had been so easy to open up her bedroom door. What was the problem now?! She closed her eyes, breathing heavily. It felt like the longer she stood there, the closer she was to falling off the cliff towards insanity.

One more quick breath and she had one foot out the door. She held her breath, as if waiting for something or someone to pull her back into her home and slam the door. But when nothing happened once she waited. She smiled to herself, finally feeling happy. It was the first time she had been somewhat happy since last night, and since she had the fight with Em-

_Emma._

No…how could she be happy? How could she feel happy when Emma wasn't… Her daughter had gone through her whole life, never knowing love. Never knowing that she had parents who loved her unconditionally and would do anything for her. Never understanding how hard it had been for them to give her up.

Snow could feel herself slipping back into that dark state. And there was nothing she could do about it. Her breath began to quicken, and the walls again were threatening to crush her beneath them. She could feel the sweat beginning to form on the back of her neck and her legs began to shake. The invisible monster was pulling her back into the apartment against her will. She backed up towards the kitchen, looking for anything to hold on to. She grabbed the counter, trying to steady her shaking body. Her knuckles were turning white by the time she decided to let go. She slumped against the cupboards with her knees up against her chest. He body was trembling and her mind was flooded with bad memories, her daughter's voice, and her mother's voice…just everything that made her heart ache.

The noises around began to mix with the sounds of her sobs. Her vision was blurred and her head was spinning. Just before she let go completely, all she heard was a voice, that of a young boy.

"Grandma?"

* * *

***Evil Snicker***


	6. Discoveries

__**Gah! I can't believe were almost at the end of this story! I can't thank you guys enough for the follows and reviews! They're so kind and wonderful. I'm sorry this took so long to come out! BUT it's the longest chapter and I think it's pretty good. (Well that's probably just my ego talking...) Don't forget that if you have any suggestions go and tell me! If there are any pairings you would like to see in a sequel, I'm probably gonna include it if you tell me! PLEASE REVIEW AND I LOVE YOU ALL! C:**

* * *

_Emma glanced out a window to her left, seeing people walking by. All she wanted to someone to say hi to her, wave even. But since the curse had been broken, there wasn't a lot of that. Emma was sure though that if she hadn't have had that fight with her mother, she would have quite a line of people waiting to thank her. A lump formed in the girl's throat as she thought of her best- friend-turned-mother. It was so hard to live with the thoughts of her, but it was even harder though to get rid of them. Emma closed her eyes and let out a stressed breath. She couldn't do this, not now. She needed to find a way to talk to her mother. She knew this wasn't good for anyone. It was horrible for her, more than likely for her parents too, and especially for Henry. Emma knew all her son wanted was to have a happy family life, but she had screwed that up by lashing out at her mom. She needed to not only do this for herself, but for her son too._

_But what would happen if she went to her parents? What would they say? More importantly, what would her mother say?! Emma could feel the lump in her throat grow larger with every thought. Her breath began to speed up, and her palms started to glisten with sweat. She closed her eyes, trying to slow her racing heart. But all she could see behind her eyelids were images and memories of Snow. One fantasy created by hatred in particular flashed more than once. It was her mother standing in the doorway of the small apartment shaking her head scolding Emma, _

"_You didn't let me explain. Now I will never see you again. Go." She saw the fantasy Snow wave her hand away before slamming the door shut making it all disappear_

_It was at that moment Emma's leg began to shake, along with the rest of her limbs. She could feel her tears sliding down her cheeks, she could hear her heart thumping loudly in her hears, and she could taste some of the droplets that had trickled into her mouth from her chocking out sobs. He body trembled as her will to stand started to crumble. She slipped to the ground and curled up under her desk. It was small, but the good kind of small for her. The best thing for Emma was to not be out in the open whilst in this state. The more closed off, the better. It was as if the walls that were threatening to crush her were being held back by the confined area. This unrealistic image she had in her mind was destroying her. It felt like her heart and sanity were being ripped to pieces. _

_Emma continued to choke out sobs as she hoped that there would be someone to help her. She knew it was unlikely, but she also knew it was the only thing that helped. If only she had known that years ago when this had all started! Though it probably wouldn't have made a difference because she didn't really have anyone to actually help her growing up… Henry had been the first person to actually help her through one. Now, she could only pray that someone would come along again. _

_As if by magic (harharhar) she swore she could hear footsteps over the loud thumping in her ears. Thankfully for Emma, she was still somewhat coherent. She had heard about other people who have a similar problem who don't respond at all to people around them. Luckily she wasn't one of people yet. _

"_Emma?" She heard the voice of an unmistakably grumpy dwarf. Who also actually took the name, Grumpy. She tried desperately to yell back, to let him know she was there. But when she opened her mouth to speak, all that came out was a soft whimper. She only looked at him for a moment as he came over, before putting her head back on her knees rocking gently back and forth. She heard him make a promise to go find her father, oh great. Emma knew that was probably what was best for her, but she wasn't sure what he would do when he saw her. Would he be scared? Or would he not care at all? Emma knew the latter of their two was probably impossible, but she couldn't let the negative thoughts go. __She would just have to hope that her thoughts wouldn't actually true. _

_Emma watched the dwarf run out of the room, clearly panicking. At least she wasn't the only one. She nodded her head before he could leave so he hopefully knew there was still a chance she would respond. As she heard the sounds of footsteps fading away she whispered, "H-Hurry…" She wasn't sure how much longer she could truly last being alone._

* * *

"Leroy, what's going on?! What's wrong with Emma?! " Charming questioned desperately as they ran full speed towards the station.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure-"

"What do you mean _you're not entirely sure_?! You saw her didn't you?!" Charming yelled frantically.

"I didn't exactly stay long enough to actually see!" The dwarf tried to explain himself to the prince, though he knew there was no use. The prince wasn't going to calm down at all until he saw his little girl. Leroy heard James sighed angrily as they got closer to the station. To Charming it felt like an eternity of running until they got there. He raced inside not hearing any greeting or acknowledgement of their presence in the building. Something was _really_ wrong.

"Emma?!" Charming called out for his daughter before being told by Leroy,

"Sh-She's under her desk!" The other man panted, clearly out of breath from the run.

Charming raced over to the desk before slowing down his pace, seeing the blonde curls peeking out from underneath it. Once he saw her, it felt like his world had stopped turning. As if all the happiness in the world had been taken away just by looking at her. Sitting, curled up in a ball under her desk was his baby girl. She looked so vulnerable, so anxious…and so much like Snow. It was hard enough for him to see his true love in such a state, but seeing his _daughter_ in the same situation was much more of a challenge.

The prince knelt down, trying to keep his own tears from escaping. He took a deep breath, not wanting to stare. But it seemed so unnatural to see his Emma like this… She was usually so strong and gallant and well… like him. But now all he could see was a version of her _she_ probably didn't want anyone to see either. All Charming could think of was his wife, and how she had problem with her anxiety. It wasn't an uncommon problem to have, but it was so heartbreaking to see that two of the most important people in his life share it.

"Emma…" He spoke softly to his daughter, not wanting to alarm her. He gently placed a hand on her knee, feeling his heart ache as she trying to pull away. Upon observing his daughter further, he could see she shared most of the symptoms her mother did. Charming didn't think anxiety attacks were genetic, but from looking at his girls he wasn't so sure anymore. It was breaking his heart to see his daughter so vulnerable and fragile. "Emma, sweetheart it's okay…" His voice cracked a bit on the last word.

Charming was totally unsure what to do at this moment. He had never seen this happen to his daughter before. Hell, he wasn't even aware that is own daughter was so unstable. He cursed himself for that, he should have known. He had missed out on 28 years of his daughter's life, and he only wanted to help her now. Even if he had failed her as a father, he would still fix this. Charming hoped he wasn't too late…

* * *

Henry cautiously followed the paths of the alleyways until he got to the apartment. He walked slowly down the hallway, trying to figure out how he would explain why he wasn't at school. But once the young boy got to the door he realized that he probably wouldn't have to say anything… As Henry approached the entryway to his grandparent's apartment, he became extremely curious…and worried. Why was the door open…? That was something he had never seen before. All the times he had been to this apartment, the door was never wide open like it was right now. He took a deep breath, unsure what he would find inside the apartment. He pushed the door open even more so he could shimmy inside. He then left it open so he could escape quickly if there was any need. To Henry, an open door could mean anything. If only Regina knew how many times he had actually watched TV when she asked him not too. So now he was kind of regretting watching all those crime shows he liked while his mother was at a meeting.

He tried to be as quiet as possible when he took a quick glace around the open concept room. Before he could get a better look, he heard noise that sounded like a mixture between a sob and a whimper. Henry's head snapped to the left, and what he saw next was definitely nothing he expected. Sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, shaking and crying was Snow White. His grandmother.

"Grandma?" Henry called out in a questioning tone. He quickly walked over to her, dropping his bag and getting on his knees. He had never seen Snow like this before… She seemed so sad and scared. What was wrong with her? All Henry could think of was Emma, and how she had looked so…much like _her_. The boy gulped once he realized what was happening.

Not only did his mom have an anxiety problem, so did his grandmother. He _so_ should have seen that one coming. Henry questioned Snow quietly, "Are you okay?" When she didn't respond, the boy became more worried than he thought possible. When his mom was having the panic attacks, she was completely responsive. She had heard what he was saying to her and responded to his touch. But Snow…she didn't even acknowledge his presence. Henry did his best not to start freaking out; afraid it would somehow rub off onto his grandmother. But being so young and not knowing what to do, he was terrified. What could he do? He had to help her!

Henry clutched his hands into fists, trying to stop them from shaking. He needed to calm down. The calmer he was, the easier it would be for him to think of something to do. He watched Snow carefully, trying to take in her symptoms. She was shaking, her breathing was rapid and shallow, she was sweating and sobbing. Nope this was _definitely _not good. He wanted to just hold her like he had done with Emma, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew Emma better than Snow, and he wasn't sure what would happen if he tried that. But Henry also knew he had to think of something quickly, so he would have to take a chance.

The boy reached out his hand and placed it gently on her knee. For the first few seconds everything was fine, but then Snow let out a gasped and just stared at his hand. She began to whimper like she was _afraid. _Seeing the distress in her eyes, Henry quickly pulled back his hand. She immediately relaxed (well not exactly relaxed, but back to before.) What had she seen when he touched her?

"C-Charming…" Henry looked back at his anxious grandmother with wide eyes. She needed James. The boy mentally slapped himself, _'Why didn't I think of that before?!'_ Henry felt like an idiot now. Of course! She needed help form the one person who could save her, her true love.

"I'll help you," He tried to smile "I promise!" Henry took a once last look at his grandmother, completely terrified. He then ran out of the apartment knowing he had to find his grandfather, and fast.

* * *

Charming glanced at Leroy expectantly, hoping he would understand he needed a moment alone with his daughter. Leroy simply nodded and went to stand out in the hallway. He wouldn't go far, just in case something worse should happen. As much as Leroy was well, _grumpy_, he still cared for the princess. As cliché as it might seem, he had vowed that he would help Snow in any way he could. And now, the daughter of his friend needed assistance. He would do whatever was needed to help the family through the difficulties, even if it meant waiting outside in the corridor.

Charming felt a need to hold his daughter, a desire that had been burning in his heart since the moment the surge of magic had passed through his body. He never knew that feeling before, for he had been the last person of his world to hold his baby girl. Just thinking that he had been the last person to hold her, and not her mother nearly brought him to tears. Snow had only held Emma for less than a minute… Without thinking twice Charming reached under the desk and grabbed his daughter gently, pulling her into his lap. He could feel a few of his own tears slide down his cheeks when Emma tried to get out of his grasp. It was destroying him to think that she was resisting him, her own father. Yes, he knew they didn't have a great history, and that she was having an anxiety attack, but it still hurt. He only knew of two things that helped Snow in these dire situations. Hot cocoa with cinnamon, which he did not have, or a story, and he knew exactly which one to tell.

Charming spoke quietly over his daughter's sobbing, trying to sound as calm as possible. "O-Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived a young princess. She was very beautiful, and her parents were the best rulers in all the kingdoms. They were kind royalty and _always_ cared about their subjects. Being so kind," He paused, "They wanted to make sure their daughter was the same. But the young princess had yet to learn the value of being kind and good . She was not a mean princess though, just uneducated in her people skills." Charming tightened his grip on Emma a bit, determined not to let her go. "On her birthday, she was given a very special gift… A tiara that had been passed down through all the generations of her family. The young princess was to wear it to the ball that was being held in her honor that night. But when the queen and her daughter entered the vanity room, a servant had the tiara placed on her head. And Sn-"Charming stopped himself, "The _princess_ began to yell at the servant. Only to be stopped by her mother, Queen Eva. The princess was extremely confused, but she listened none the less. The queen explained that even though they were royalty, that did not make them any better than the other people of the kingdom. Thankfully, it seemed that a small switch had gone off in the princess's mind, allowing her to appreciate the value of kindness. But just when it seemed like it would be a lessoned learned followed by a happy ending, the queen fell ill. In a search to help the queen, the young princess had set out to find help. That was where the goodness in her heart had been put to the test. She had been given the option to save her mother, but only by using evil to do it." Charming sighed sadly, "And on the queen's death bed, the princess had come to apologize that she had not been able to do the evil deed. But the queen was very happy, much to the princess's confusion. The queen told her daughter that as long as she kept goodness in her heart, she would always be with her." Charming could feel Emma relaxing just as he said, "And from that day forward, Snow White vowed to always keep goodness and kindness in her heart, and to never let hatred blind her judgments." Charming finished with a lump in his throat.

Emma went rigid at this last statement; she now knew why her mother had acted this way. It had never been her fault, why she didn't kill Regina. She was only trying to live up to her mother's death wish… Never in all her life had Emma felt worse about a decision. Not knowing what to do or how to move, she then sunk a bit into her father's chest, trying to even out her breaths. She was surprised the story had worked, and that she wasn't going back into that state because of it. Just as she was about to turn and speak to him, someone else's voice erupted from the hallway.  
"Henry what are you doing here?!" Leroy called to the boy that had come bursting in. He didn't want to have the kid mess anything up between James and Emma, so he tried to stop him.

"Leroy! It's important!" Henry pushed past the man and ran into the office, a bit shocked to see his mother and grandfather actually sitting together. But that didn't exactly matter right now.

"Kid! What's wrong?!" Emma questioned a bit hoarsely; her throat was scratchy from all the sobbing. Why wasn't he at school?

"It's Mary Margaret! She's well," Henry had a feeling they both already knew. "She's definitely _not_ okay." Emma's eyes wide as she then got up as fast as she could and turned to her father,

"We need to go." She looked over to Henry, "Now." Emma finally understood why her mother had done what she had done. It wasn't exactly an excuse, but it was something. Emma was still unaware though of her mother's condition, only that she needed help. And help her she would.

* * *

**Okay! For the purpose of this story I decided that Charming would know about an "evil deed"Snow could have done to save her mother, but didn't know exactly what it was. So that's why he's being vague. Oh and might I add that my feels were like overflowing in this chapter? **


End file.
